In one of the more anticipated first-round matchups, the Miami Heat quickly put any thoughts of an upset to rest in a dominant 123-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Miami and Charlotte were two of the four teams that finished tied for third in the Eastern Conference with 48-34 records in the regular season, but the difference in talent could not have been more obvious on the court on Sunday.
The Heat got started early, opening the game on an 11-3 run on their way to a massive 41-22 lead after the first quarter, tying the franchise playoff record for most points in a quarter. Charlotte was never able to get the lead back below 15 points.
Luol Deng's spectacular performance was the biggest reason why Miami won in such impressive fashion, putting up 31 points on just 13 shots. Hassan Whiteside also played well with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Goran Dragic contributed nine points and 10 assists.
Charlotte was led by 24 points from Nic Batum and 19 points from Kemba Walker, but the rest of the roster provided very little help. The Hornets were also outrebounded 42-28 by Miami.
Game 2 of this series will be on Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET on NBATV.
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